Presidential hopeful Omoyele Sowore has vowed that security agencies will not be allowed to harass or arrest Nigerians for criticising him if he becomes President.
Speaking on the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief, Sowore said the head of state must take responsibility whenever security agencies act outside their constitutional mandate.
According to him, the President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and is ultimately responsible for the activities of the nation’s security agencies.
“Anytime you see that some of these elements go rogue, it’s because the Commander-in-Chief is no longer commanding as he should,” Sowore said.
He further declared that he would not tolerate the arrest of anyone simply for criticising him, promising to dismiss any security chief who ordered such an arrest.
“I will not be President of Nigeria and somebody will go and arrest somebody for criticizing me. It’s not possible. If you do that, I’ll fire you that same day,” he said.
Sowore also criticised the Department of State Services over its handling of court proceedings, particularly the agency’s alleged refusal to appear before the Federal High Court.
He questioned how the Director-General of the DSS could announce that the agency would not appear in court without first seeking the court’s permission.
According to him, such conduct reflects the extent to which the judiciary has been undermined.
Sowore maintained that his administration would uphold fundamental human rights and ensure that security agencies operate within the limits of the law.
“There will be no room as the President of Nigeria for the violation of fundamental human rights,” he said.
